Chinese puzzle

China’s rise defies the monolithic authoritarian view; its actions reflect politics, economics, history, regional priorities, warning against flawed policy.

Understanding Anti-Chinese Discrimination Overseas

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The experience of discrimination against Chinese people abroad is a complex, multi-dimensional issue. It is shaped by historical migration trends, cultural norms, social perceptions, structural inequalities, and personal reactions. This analysis brings together viewpoints from Chinese individuals, outside observers, and researchers, drawing on lived experiences, social practices, and wider systemic influences. 1. Historical and Cultural … Read more

From Short-Term Gains to Global Power: Cold War Beneficiaries

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The Cold War, lasting roughly from 1947 to 1991, shaped global geopolitics, economics, and technology. Its consequences were uneven: some nations were immediate short-term beneficiaries, while others gained in the long term. This analysis categorizes the effects on major countries and regions and explores China’s unique position. I. The United States: The Ultimate Winner? 1. … Read more

State-Led Capitalism in Action: China’s Mask Manufacturing

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I. How State-Led Capitalism Operates in Practice China’s system of state-led capitalism is best understood as a pragmatic hybrid rather than an ideological extreme. It does not resemble Soviet-style central planning, nor does it follow Western laissez-faire principles. Under normal conditions, production and allocation are largely market-driven, with firms competing, innovating, and responding to demand … Read more

Why China Resists Containment Unlike the Soviet Union

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1. Civilizational and Cultural Foundations 1.1 Ethnic Continuity and Civilizational Resilience in Comparative Perspective China and the Soviet Union were both multi-ethnic polities, yet their internal cohesion and long-term resilience differed in fundamental ways. China has historically been anchored by a dominant and enduring cultural core, shaped by a civilization with several millennia of continuity. … Read more

Hybrid Mobilization at Huoshenshan: Speed, Capacity, Power

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The rapid construction of Huoshenshan Hospital was neither a chance miracle nor a rhetorical myth, but a concentrated demonstration of China’s emergency governance capacity in action. From the decision to build on January 23, 2020, to its handover on February 2, a fully functional 1,000-bed infectious disease hospital rose in just ten days—an outcome made … Read more

Hong Kong as a Nation Without Independence or Statehood

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Hong Kong is best understood neither as a failed nation-state nor merely as a rebellious city, but as a deliberately constructed nation without a state—a shared national consensus formed in the absence of formal sovereignty. Its distinctiveness lies in the fact that it did not emerge through revolution, war, or independence, yet it gradually accumulated … Read more

Tsien Hsue-shen’s Real Legacy: China’s Enduring Tech Strategy

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Tsien Hsue-shen (Qian Xuesen) was more than a scientist—he played a pivotal role in shaping China’s modern scientific and engineering strategy. Tsien Hsue-shen and the Architecture of China’s Scientific Power Tsien Hsue-shen’s historical significance does not rest on the resolution of a single technical challenge or the invention of a particular device. His true contribution … Read more

Could the USSR Reform Without Collapsing? Insights from China

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The collapse of the Soviet Union raises a central question: could reform have preserved it? Interpreted on China’s terms, the contrast is clear. China survived prolonged upheaval by undertaking systemic transformations that built not only industrial capacity but a resilient industrial ecosystem, balanced authority with internal checks, and fostered strategic autonomy. These foundations allowed later … Read more

How China Runs Strategic Sectors Under State-Led Capitalism

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China’s state-led capitalism operates through a dual-track system that distinguishes market-driven enterprises from state-function entities. Firms overseen by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) compete, generate profits, and undergo market-oriented restructuring, while a parallel set of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) under the Ministry of Finance function as instruments of national policy, safeguarding fiscal stability, … Read more

Can China Still Build Another Huawei in Today’s World?

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China will still generate major, highly successful companies, but they are more likely to arise from capital-driven growth and platform expansion—such as ByteDance or Tencent—rather than from the kind of organically built industrial powerhouse represented by Huawei. The specific historical, political, and economic conditions that enabled Huawei’s rise are unlikely to occur again, meaning future … Read more